Subnautica 2 has made quite a splash at launch, and will only continue to make waves. On Friday, Unknown Worlds detailed the first official roadmap for Subnautica 2, and it already looks like it’ll add an ocean of updates to the underwater survival game — including some much-anticipated quality-of-life perks. I know it’s only been 24 hours, which is arguably too early to drop a “finally,” but finally, a sprint button!
Following a publicly tumultuous rift between Unknown Worlds and publisher Krafton, Subnautica 2 released on May 14 into early access on Windows PC and Xbox Series X and instantly became one of the biggest games of 2026. It sold more than a million copies in its first hour, a figure that more than doubled by the end of its first day on the market. Needless to say, the people were eager to dive in.
The Subnautica 2 roadmap is broken into three phases: the first focuses on quality-of-life updates, the second expands the game’s cooperative gameplay options, and the third focuses on “major” updates to the game. As these roll out, Unknown Worlds said it will continue to issue minor patches optimizing the game and addressing bugs.
The first update, “EA 1.1,” will notably increase the game’s storage cache and biomod options, including the number of biomod slots you can have. As of this writing, the biomod system in Subnautica 2 is fairly limited, so the more, the merrier there. But the biggest addition is the inclusion of a sprint system. No more running out of oxygen when you’re five feet away from the surface — a sprint feature means you’ll actually make it in time.
The second update, “EA 1.2,” will expand the base-building tool (though our base-building tips can already provide guidance there) and include additional HUD signals. For multiplayer, expect the implementation of voice chat, emotes, and the ability to revive other players, in addition to more customization options.
Beyond those two updates, Unknown Worlds said it plans to add new… well, basically everything: biomes, creatures, resources, tools, a vehicle, and a brand-new story chapter. Unknown Worlds did not provide dates for any of the updates in Subnautica 2‘s roadmap, but told Polygon in an April interview that the game’s early access period will last for two years, give or take.
Subnautica 2 escapes a wave of controversy and should keep getting better
Nothing like dying a thousand times to remind you what being human means
